Joint doctoral campaign of the Université de Lyon & the China Scholarship Council (CSC)

The main goal of this program is to enable eligible students selected by the Université de Lyon and the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) to complete a thesis in a research unit under the Université de Lyon.

The Université de Lyon and the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) have been pursuing an agreement since 2013 which provides for the funding by the Chinese government of 30 Chinese doctoral students per year.

To be admitted into a doctoral program in France, you must have a research subject, a supervisor and a funding. Thesis subjects are provided by the research supervisors.

A PhD program lasts 3 years but can be extended to 4 years if it is scientifically relevant and if there is available funding.

Usually, French is the language of the dissertation and defense. However, it is possible to write and to defend in another language, but in this case, there must be a written abstract in French (and sometimes an oral abstract too).

The doctoral student is attached to a doctoral school (in French, a doctoral school is called "école doctorale -ED"), according to his/her scientific area and registered as a student at a selected higher education and research institution. The doctoral school manages and validates the selection of candidates, guarantees the scientific quality of supervision and provides doctoral students with interdisciplinary training The higher education and research institution decide the admission into a doctoral program and awards the degree.

Each doctoral student has to take a certain limited amount of "doctoral courses" adapted to their scientific and professional aims. This training may consist of participation at a scientific seminar or at short training sessions. The Université de Lyon offers a wide range of training opportunities which seek to provide doctoral students with transferable skills and to help them in ensuring their future employability.

Once they are admitted into a doctoral program, doctoral students pay registration fees as well as the Student Life and Campus Tax (CVEC). This tax of €103 must be paid every year. PhD students have to register on their own to France's social security system. This procedure is free of charge.

The Université de Lyon has 18 doctoral schools which cover all fields of research.

Note: beware of double applications!

Some member institutions of the Université de Lyon (ENS de Lyon, INSA Lyon & Centrale Lyon) have similar agreements with the CSC. Be careful not to apply through both ways as this could have consequences for other applications.

1. Applications opening: July 15, 2024 until September 17, 2024
   
2. Thesis proposals must be sent to international.office@universite-lyon.fr until September 17, 2024
   
3. Validation Security Defense of thesis offers by the Université de Lyon: September 2024
   
4. Publication of approved thesis proposals: between December 2024 and January 2025
   
5. Student applications to thesis directors and doctoral schools: between January & February 2025
   
6. Communication of the names of the successful candidates to the UdL: no later than March 10, 2025
7. Shortlisted candidates should submit their CSC scholarship applications directly via the CSC website between March 10 and March 31, 2025
   Caution: candidates must select "CSC/ULYON" when submitting their application
8. The thesis director, via his laboratory, sends his institution's Defense Security Officer (FSD) the complete file of the candidate selected for authorization of the doctoral student's access to the laboratory (approximately 2 months)
9. The CSC communicates the results of the selection to the University of Lyon, which in turn transmits them to the Doctoral Schools: end of June 2025
   
10. The selected doctoral students will arrive in France on September 1, 2025.

• Be a citizen or permanent resident of China;
• Hold (or be a future holder of) a Master’s degree or equivalent that demonstrates your aptitude for research;
• Be in the 2nd year of a Master’s degree or 1st year of a PhD for a basic grant;
• Be in the 2nd year of a PhD for Cotutelle grants;
• Have a very good level of French or English, depending on your scientific field (a minimum level of B2/C1 is recommended).

STEP #1
If a subject or theme corresponds to your project: send your application to the thesis director (detailed CV and cover letter in the requested language).

STEP #2
Your application will be reviewed by a research team. You may be asked to submit more information or to have an interview on line.

STEP #3
The research teams select the candidates. The director of the lab and the director of the doctoral school validate the selection.

STEP #4
You will receive a letter of acceptance of your application signed by the director of the host laboratory, the thesis director and the director of the doctoral school. You will attach this letter to your CSC application.

STEP #5
You submit your application file directly on the application portal hosted on the CSC website from March 10 to 31, 2025.

STEP #6
You are notified of the result of the CSC scholarship by the doctoral school, subject to the access authorization (FSD) to your host research laboratory.

FYI
The Université de Lyon wishes to encourage applications:

• From universities in Shanghai (ECNU, Tongji, Fudan, Jiao Tong Shanghai, New York Univeristy Shanghai) partners of the Université de Lyon,
• As part of an existing program between an establishment in Lyon or Saint-Étienne and a Chinese institution,
• For joint doctorates.

• ED 162 - MEGA Mécanique Energétique Génie civil et acoustique    Experimental and Numerical Study of the impact of urban microclimates on ventilation and Indoor Air Quality (pdf - 167 Ko)
• ED 162 - MEGA Mécanique Energétique Génie civil et acoustique    Life Cycle Assessment and adaptation of buildings in response to Climate Change : Coupling environmental impact and building performance (pdf - 168 Ko)
• ED 162 - MEGA Mécanique Energétique Génie civil et acoustique    Study of the hydromechanical behaviour of soils using a meshless approach to model large soil movements close to geo-structures (pdf - 289 Ko)
• ED 488 - SIS Sciences Ingénierie Santé    Characterization, Analysis, and Optimization of a Bio-Based Concrete Formulation for Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing): Application to buildings envelop (pdf - 171 Ko)
• ED 162 - MEGA Mécanique Energétique Génie civil et acoustique    Development of a perceptually relevant color rendition measure for better evaluation of lighting quality (pdf - 199 Ko)
• ED 162 - MEGA Mécanique Energétique Génie civil et acoustique    Effects of particle shape and microstructure on the crushing and mechanical behaviours of rockfill materials (pdf - 110 Ko)
• ED 488 - SIS Sciences Ingénierie Santé    Multi-Physics Modeling of a Thermo-Mechanically Reinforced Bio-Based Wall Element: Integration of Phase Change Materials and Mineral-Based Composites. (pdf - 113 Ko)
• ED 488 - SIS Sciences Ingénierie Santé    Multi-Scale Numerical Approach for Predicting the Mechanical Behavior of Textile Reinforced Concrete Structures (pdf - 110 Ko)
• ED 488 - SIS Sciences Ingénierie Santé    Numerical modelling of fire-exposed textile reinforced concrete (TRC) (pdf - 103 Ko)
• ED 206 - Chimie Procédés Environnement   Eco-friendly materials for the development of in vitro vacularised tissues (pdf - 111 Ko)
• ED 486 - SEG Sciences Economiques et de Gestion   Option Portfolio Design for Prospect Theory Agents (pdf - 131 Ko)
• ED 486 - SEG Sciences Economiques et de Gestion   Social norms and their dynamics (pdf - 108 Ko)
• ED 483 - ScSo Sciences Sociales   Spiritual traditions as driving force for modern technologies? (pdf - 132 Ko)
• ED 486 - SEG Sciences Economiques et de Gestion   The influence of perceived authenticity in tourism organizations on tourists and employees: a reinterpretation in the field of human resources marketing (pdf - 102 Ko)
• ED 340 - BMIC Biologie Moléculaire Intégrative et Cellulaire   Understanding the role of lipid droplets in regulated cell death (pdf - 228 Ko)
• ED 488 - SIS Sciences Ingénierie Santé    Effect of nacre supplementation on phosphocalcium metabolism during aging: contribution of an aged rodent model (pdf - 162 Ko)
• ED 488 - SIS Sciences Ingénierie Santé    Iron metabolism as a key in the bone-cardiovascular crosstalk in Renal Osteodystrophy (pdf - 153 Ko)
• ED 52 - PHAST Physique et Astrophysique de Lyon   Attochemistry: Electron-nuclear dynamics in correlation bands (pdf - 119 Ko)
• ED 512 - InfoMaths (Informatique et Mathématiques)   CADEA: Collaborative Argumentation and Debate Enhancement with AI (pdf - 354 Ko)
• ED 206 - Chimie Procédés Environnement   Catalytic and Atmospheric Reactivity for the Environment (CARE) (pdf - 120 Ko)
• ED 656 - Cancérologie biologie santé   Deep Learning Model for Predicting Chemotherapy Response from Histology and Transcriptomic Data (ReCheDeep) (pdf - 131 Ko)
• ED 205 - EDISS Interdisciplinaire Sciences et Santé   Enzymatic conversion of bio-based compounds (pdf - 540 Ko)
• ED 340 - BMIC Biologie Moléculaire Intégrative et Cellulaire   Epigenetic Regulation Of Muscle Stem Cell Division Choice (pdf - 873 Ko)
• ED 205 - EDISS Interdisciplinaire Sciences et Santé   Exosomes, predictive biomarkers of chemotherapy efficacy in prostate cancer (pdf - 133 Ko)
• ED 206 - Chimie Procédés Environnement   Leveraging LMCT manifolds for the development of new catalytic cross-coupling reactions (pdf - 212 Ko)
• ED 206 - Chimie Procédés Environnement   Multimetallic hetero-nanostructures (pdf - 108 Ko)
• ED 476 - NSCo Neurosciences et Cognition   Neuroplastic mechanisms underling learning and memory in the zebrafish brain (pdf - 151 Ko)
• ED 206 - Chimie Procédés Environnement   Renoxification Processes in the Troposphere (pdf - 146 Ko)
• ED 340 - BMIC Biologie Moléculaire Intégrative et Cellulaire   Role of the proteins SMN and FUS in Nucleolar Homeostasis (pdf - 276 Ko)

2025 call for applications (FR)

2025 admission offer template

List of our doctoral schools